Of Coffee Makers, Weevil Hunts, and Compromises
by BregoArodShadowfax
Summary: Set in my 'Hitting the Ground Running' universe.  Between the new coffee maker being bought without his input and Jack sneaking off to hunt Weevils late at night, things aren't nearly as simple as they should be.


**Title:** Of Coffee Makers, Weevil Hunts, and Compromises  
><strong>Author:<strong> AoiTsukikage  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG-13  
><strong>CharactersPairing:** Jack/Ianto  
><strong>Chapter:<strong> 1/1  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1676  
><strong>Spoilers:<strong> Everything to the end of CoE  
><strong>SummaryWarnings:** Set in my 'Hitting the Ground Running' universe. Between the new coffee maker being bought without his input and Jack sneaking off to hunt Weevils late at night, things aren't nearly as simple as they should be.

**Disclaimer:** I, unfortunately, do not own these characters, no matter how sad that makes me. I do, however, promise to return them when I'm done with them. :)

**Of Coffee Makers, Weevil Hunts, and Compromises**

"A coffee maker."

"Yeah," Owen looked mighty proud of himself as he showed it off, although to be fair it _was _rather shiny and, sitting in a pile of rubble, about the best-looking thing in the general area.

"A _coffee maker." _

"Tosh gave me the model of the old one, so…"

"Owen. It never occurred to you that maybe, perhaps, after years of having the other one, I might not like a _different _coffee maker?" Ianto raised an eyebrow, not really mad at Owen but it was just _one more thing _on his plate that he had to deal with.

" 'Course it did, mate. But we also knew that if you went out to buy it you'd buy one that costs, like, 1500 pounds or somethin' and we need the money to fix the Hub. Plus, and don't tell 'er I told you this, but…I could honestly care less. I can't drink the stuff anyway and if you bought some fancy machine I'd just get jealous," he sniffed and Ianto rubbed his temples, knowing Owen had a point but _still _wishing they would have consulted him first. "But who spat in your cereal? You're a little touchy this morning."

"Jack. Not literally," he added as Owen opened his mouth to retort. "But…he went out Weevil hunting last night. Without consulting me."

"And he got himself offed, did he? Bugger," Owen grimaced and Ianto knew the other man understood his position. He'd spoken to the doctor often enough about it, after all. " 'ave you ever just asked him to give you a heads-up?"

"It wouldn't matter. This is _Jack," _Ianto replied. "And I think he's bored. Ever since the 456 left the Rift's been fairly quiet, which isn't unusual after a major alien attack, but Jack's the type of man who can't sit still for long."

"Too true, mate. Well, we're the only ones here for right now, so why don't you head down and try out the coffee maker? I'll keep sorting through stuff out here," Owen suggested and Ianto picked up the shiny machine and headed into the untouched lower levels of the Hub, moving to the conference room/temporary kitchen and setting up the coffee maker before beginning to make coffees, the familiar action soothing and letting him clear his mind.

He wasn't angry with Jack.

Well, not really.

But the other man was _not _good for his health at times like this.

"Morning, Ianto."

"Morning ,Tosh," he smiled at the woman as she came over, examining the coffee machine. "I see you found it?"

"Well, Owen gave it to me, but same difference," he passed her a cup and she took a sip, sighing at the flavour.

"Thank goodness we've got this back. I was tired of running across the Plass every two hours just to get us coffee," she laughed and headed off to her improvised workstation which was really just a laptop plugged into the Hub mainframe, but it would do for now. "Where's Jack? It's rare for the two of you to arrive separately."

"Sleeping in. Had a run-in with a Weevil last night," Ianto tried to keep his tone light but he knew Tosh saw right through him.

"Meaning he went out without telling you and came home covered in blood?"

"You know him too well," Ianto smiled wryly to himself, about to say more when he heard the unmistakable boom of Jack's voice as he swept into the Hub, finding the two of them almost instantly after bidding Gwen and Andy good morning (they must have come in while Ianto was working on the coffee).

"Is that coffee I smell?"

"It is, sir," Ianto called, rolling his eyes at the predictability of it all as Tosh clapped a hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh. "Would you like some?"

"As if I could ever turn down coffee," Jack poked his head into the conference room before entering fully, taking the cup Ianto offered him and inhaling deeply. "Ah, I've missed this."

"I'm sure you have," Ianto knew he sounded a little snappish and tried to mellow his tone but Jack had already caught on.

"Is this about last night?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out, sir," Ianto took a coffee for himself before striding from the conference room, heading to the archives as Jack trailed after him. "It's your business if you want to spend your nights gallivanting and getting skewered by Weevils…"

"It was an easy death!" Jack protested, following him.

"How you know you work at Torchwood: hearing somebody talk of 'an easy death' is as common as discussing rugby," Gwen commented as they swept by her and Ianto spared her a smile before opening the door to the archives, deciding slamming it in Jack's face would be childish so he let Jack follow him in and close the door himself.

"Okay, what's the matter?"

"You know. At least, I assume you know," Ianto set the coffee down on his desk and sat, booting up his computer and starting to type.

"Look, I've been hunting Weevils late at night since before we met, so why is this suddenly an issue?" Jack asked, sounding honestly confused and Ianto mostly wants to smack him because he has _no right _to be this oblivious.

"The _problem, _sir, is that I am a fully trained Torchwood operative. I've worked here for nearly ten years and yet you still see fit to _not _inform me when you're going out on a dangerous mission," he said shortly.

"Ianto, it's…"

"And recently _every single time _you come home you've died. Do you know how much money I've had to pay the drycleaners just to keep them from talking? Do you think it's _pleasant _for me to see you come in dripping blood all over the floor? Or how about that time your chest got ripped open and when you came back _I could see your ribs. _Jack, this is _not _fun for me," he managed to get all this out before blinking furiously and turning back to his screen, looking for anything to take his mind off of the memory.

That had been a particularly _bad _death.

"Ianto, you _know _you need to sleep. You're only human…"

"And waking me up in the middle of the night to see you still half-dead is better, is it?" Ianto sighed. "Jack, I _know _you. After so long, how could I not? All I'm asking is that, if you get the urge to hunt Weevils, let me come along to watch your back if nothing else."

Jack didn't seem inclined to answer so Ianto went back to work, finally hearing the older man sigh as he perched on the desk. "You know why I don't let you come with. I've come too close to losing you too many times…"

"Jack, I'm not a child. I'm not going to be kept in some sort of glass box because you're _afraid _something might happen. Of _course _something might happen! This is _Torchwood," _Ianto reminded him testily, taking a gulp of his coffee and glaring in protest when Jack closed the lid of his laptop and leaned down farther. "I know you worry. I do. But do you think I _don't _worry? You can't die, that's true, but I know how much it _hurts _you and you shouldn't have to go through any more pain than you've already gone through."

"It's my fate to go through a _lot _of pain, Ianto. You know that," Jack looked rather melancholy and Ianto reached up to cup his lover's cheek, giving him the most reassuring smile he could muster.

"I do, love. But please, for my sake, can you be a _little _more careful? If you're bored I won't object to staying up a little later…" he raised an eyebrow and Jack laughed.

"I know. Trust me. And I promise if you're still awake…and _only _if you're awake, Ianto, I'm not having you stumbling around Cardiff half-asleep…you can come with me when I go," Jack nodded.

"And…"

"And I'll be more careful and try not to let them use me as a chew toy. Satisfied?" Jack looked expectant and Ianto supposed this was as good as it would get at the moment.

"It'll do," he decided, pulling Jack into a kiss before he let the other man go. "Now stop distracting me. I've work to do."

"You work too much," Jack's hand is still cupping the back of his neck and he strokes the soft skin there with gentle fingers. "And you realize now that the coffee maker's back you'll have to keep us constantly supplied with refills?"

"I'm resigned to the fact, yes. But Gwen's getting her own decaf; I'm not running a restaurant," he smiled and Jack grinned back at him.

"You'd make a pregnant woman run across the Plass just for a coffee?" he asked in mock-horror.

"No, I'd make Owen run across the Plass _for _her," Ianto corrected and Jack nodded in agreement. "Now, get out of here. Leave me in peace."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack bent down to kiss him briefly again before heading out of the archives, and Ianto shook his head and sighed as he left.

He knew that there would still be nights when Jack would come home, bloody and shivering, that haunted look in his eyes as he staggered through the doorway, but Ianto also believed it would get better and, if he had his way, one day it would stop altogether.

And he knew Jack worried; knew Jack was resigned to the fact that one day he wouldn't have Ianto anymore but if Ianto had anything to say about it that day was far, _far _in the future.

He'd do what it took to keep himself safe as long as Jack didn't throw himself around like he was nothing.

And somehow, they'd work. He was more sure of that than he'd been in anything in his whole life.

After all, with everything they'd been through, how could they not?

**Notes:**

**1. **None of you probably remember me, but hi! It's been so long since I wrote Torchwood fic that I just wanted to whip something up because I miss it, and I've really grown fond of all of the characters in this 'verse so I decided to set it there.

**2. **Reviews/comments/what-have-yous are always appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed :D


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